Eric Baldwin - Live Updates

Three Busts

Oct 28, '09

Blake Buffington, Andrew Lichtenberger, and 2009 Card Player Player of the Year leader Eric Baldwin have busted from the tournament early on day 2.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

All Hail Baldwin -- King of the Caesars Palace Classic Preliminaries

Oct 27, '09

Eric Baldwin is the current Card Player Player of the Year leader. He turned in an impressive performance during the Caesars Palace Classic last week, making four final tables in seven days. Here is a break down of his impressive run here at Caesars.

Baldwin won a $300 no-limit hold’em turbo tournament to take home $10,686 and 120 POY points on Oct. 18. Three days later he made a second final table, cashing in seventh place in another $300 no-limit hold’em turbo tournament to take home $1,397 and 30 points. Two days after that he made a $300 no-limit hold’em event final table and captured $2,590 and 72 points. Two days later he made his fourth final table in seven days, this time placing fifth in a $500 no-limit hold’em event to score $4,656 and 80 points. He now holds 5,898 points total and he has won $1,220,111 in prize money playing tournament poker in 2009.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Player of the Year Very Near

Oct 27, '09

The year is almost over and Card Player will soon be crowning a Player of the Year champion. This year’s front runner is Eric Baldwin, who is just a couple hundred points ahead of Yevgeniy Timoshenko (Second), who is also in today’s field.

Jason Mercier (Fifth) and Mike Leah (Ninth) are also playing, but Baldwin is actually seated next to last year’s POY champion, John “The Razor” Phan. There aren’t too many qualifying events left in the year for someone to make their move, so this tournament has a chance to heavily alter the standings.

We’ll post more about the series that Baldwin has had later today.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Three Busts

Oct 28, '09

Blake Buffington, Andrew Lichtenberger, and 2009 Card Player Player of the Year leader Eric Baldwin have busted from the tournament early on day 2.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

All Hail Baldwin -- King of the Caesars Palace Classic Preliminaries

Oct 27, '09

Eric Baldwin is the current Card Player Player of the Year leader. He turned in an impressive performance during the Caesars Palace Classic last week, making four final tables in seven days. Here is a break down of his impressive run here at Caesars.

Baldwin won a $300 no-limit hold’em turbo tournament to take home $10,686 and 120 POY points on Oct. 18. Three days later he made a second final table, cashing in seventh place in another $300 no-limit hold’em turbo tournament to take home $1,397 and 30 points. Two days after that he made a $300 no-limit hold’em event final table and captured $2,590 and 72 points. Two days later he made his fourth final table in seven days, this time placing fifth in a $500 no-limit hold’em event to score $4,656 and 80 points. He now holds 5,898 points total and he has won $1,220,111 in prize money playing tournament poker in 2009.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Player of the Year Very Near

Oct 27, '09

The year is almost over and Card Player will soon be crowning a Player of the Year champion. This year’s front runner is Eric Baldwin, who is just a couple hundred points ahead of Yevgeniy Timoshenko (Second), who is also in today’s field.

Jason Mercier (Fifth) and Mike Leah (Ninth) are also playing, but Baldwin is actually seated next to last year’s POY champion, John “The Razor” Phan. There aren’t too many qualifying events left in the year for someone to make their move, so this tournament has a chance to heavily alter the standings.

We’ll post more about the series that Baldwin has had later today.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Eric Baldwin Eliminated

Sep 06, '09

Card Player player of the year leader Eric Baldwin has busted out of the tournament.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Eric Baldwin Doubles Up

Sep 06, '09

Eric Baldwin moved all in preflop and his opponent in seat 1 went into the tank. He stared down Baldwin for a minute and then made the call. Their cards:

Baldwin: A3
Seat 1: 99

Board: Q726A

Baldwin doubled up on the hand to 85,000.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Baldwin Wins a Nice Pot

Sep 06, '09

Card Player player of the year leader Eric Baldwin bet 4,000 preflop under the gun and seat 8 raised to 9,600 in the big blind. The flop was dealt A97 and seat 8 bet 12,500. Baldwin then moved all in and his opponent mucked.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin

Level 3 Update

Aug 22, '09

Blinds: 150-300

Players Remaining: 243 out of 279

Chip Counts:

1. Adam Geyer — 89,500
2. Marco Johnson — 88,000
3. Chad Brown — 67,000
4. Toto Leonidas — 65,000
5. Greg Mueller — 63,000
6. Michael Kamran — 60,000
7. Nick Schulman — 60,000
8. Nenad Medic — 58,000
9. Adam Levy — 56,000
10. Isaac Baron — 55,000

Average Chip Count: 34,444

Notable Eliminations:

Joe Sebok
Kathy Liebert
Tom Schneider
Ray Henson
Eric Baldwin
Jean Gaspard

Hand of the Level:

Joe Sebok Eliminated

Joe Sebok moved all in on a flop of A-8-5 with two hearts holding A-Q. His opponent called him down with J9 and another heart fell on the turn. Sebok was eliminated on the hand.

Level Summary:

The field saw a substantial number of eliminations during the third level of the day as the blinds increased to 150-300. A number of big-name players fell during the level, including current Card Player Player of the Year leader Eric Baldwin.

Two young stars have jumped to the top of leader board. Adam Geyer holds 89,500 and Marco Johnson is close behind with 88,000. Greg Mueller still holds strong near the top with 63,000 after leading the field during the last level.

The low turnout of 279 players has led the tournament staff to change the schedule for today. Play will last for five levels as opposed to the scheduled six, and day 2 will consist of five levels of play as well. Play will conclude at 11:30 p.m. this evening.

Player Tags: Joe Sebok,   Eric Baldwin

Final Table Update: Eric Baldwin Eliminated

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 60,000-120,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Kirill Gerasimov – 5,559,000
2. John Kabbaj – 2,660,000

Average Chip Count: 4,125,000

Notable Eliminations:

3. Eric Baldwin ($259,534)

Big Hands:

Eric Baldwin Puts Stack At Risk

Eric Baldwin raised to 335,000 from the small blind and John Kabbaj called. The flop came 962. Baldwin checked and Kabbaj checked behind. The turn brought the Q and the recent bracelet winner bet 365,000. Kabbaj made the call. The A fell on the river and Baldwin checked. Kabbaj promptly bet 650,000 and Baldwin went all-in for 740,000 more. Kabbaj went into the tank before eventually folding. Baldwin was then at 3,200,000.

John Kabbaj Doubles Up

John Kabbaj got the last of his chips into the middle in a blind vs. blind war with Kirill Gerasimov. Gerasimov exposed the A9 while Kabbaj exposed the 99. The board ran out Q97Q8 and Kabbaj doubled up with a full house to 2,430,000.

Eric Baldwin Crippled, Kirill Gerasimov Doubles Up

Kirill Gerasimov raised to 300,000 on the button. Eric Baldwin called from the small blind. The flop came A98 and Baldwin checked. Gerasimov bet 375,000 and Baldwin threw out a check raise for 1,400,000 more. Gerasimov moved all-in and Baldwin made the quick call. Baldwin exposed the AJ and was well ahead of the A9 of Gerasimov. The flop was ugly for Baldwin as it came A98, giving his opponent two pair. The Q hit the turn and the 8 fell on the river, crippling Baldwin to just 420,000. Gerasimov is at 5,500,000.

Eric Baldwin Eliminated in 3rd Place ($259,534)

On the very next hand after the devastating flop, Eric Baldwin bet the pot, moving all-in for 420,000 on the button. John Kabbaj thought briefly before finally making the call and exposing the A5. Baldwin tabled two live cards with the J6. Baldwin endured another hideous flop as it came AQ5, giving Kabbaj two pair. The 6 hit the turn and Baldwin was giving some outs to stay alive, needing another six to make trips. However, the J fell on the river and Baldwin was eliminated with his two pair in 3rd place.

Player Tags: Kirill Gerasimov,   John Kabbaj,   Eric Baldwin

Final Table Update: J.C. Alvarado, Davidi Kitai Eliminated

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 50,000-100,000

Players Remaining: 3 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Kirill Gerasimov – 3,895,000
2. John Kabbaj – 2,505,000
3. Eric Baldwin – 1,880,000

Average Chip Count: 2,750,000

Notable Eliminations:

5. J.C. Alvarado ($138,375)
4. Davidi Kitai ($183,638)

Big Hands:

J.C. Alvarado Eliminated in 5th Place ($138,375)

J.C. Alvarado raised to 300,000 and Eric Baldwin went all-in from the big blind. Alvarado called for the rest of his chips. Baldwin tabled with AK and Alvarado exposed the 1010 for a coin flip. The board ran out Q73J7 and Alvarado’s tens held up. Alvarado was then up to 1,450,000 while Baldwin was down to 1,000,000.

Not too long after, J.C. Alvarado raised to 200,000. John Kabbaj reraised to 700,000 and Alvarado moved all-in for 1,250,000. Kabbaj didn’t take long before calling. Alvarado exposed the AQ while Kitai tabled the 1010. The board ran out J767J and the tens held up once again at the final table. Alvarado was sent home in 5th place.

Davidi Kitai Eliminated in 4th Place ($183,638)

Kirill Gerasimov raised to 250,000 on the button and Davidi Kitai reraised all-in from the big blind. Gerasimov called. Kitai exposed the 55 while Gerasimov tabled the K10, for a coin flip. The flop came J72, giving Gerasimov two overs and a flush draw. The 8 hit the turn and Kitai needed to dodge just one more card in order to double up. The river was a disaster as it brought the K giving Gerasimov top pair and sending Kitai home in 4th place. Gerasimov is now at 3,895,000.

Left In The Deck:

The players are currently on a 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Kirill Gerasimov,   Juan Carlos Alvarado,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin

Final Table Update: Eugene Todd Doubles Up

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. John Kabbaj – 2,210,000
2. Davidi Kitai – 1,600,000
3. Eric Baldwin – 1,000,000
4. Isaac Haxton – 955,000
5. J.C. Alvarado – 680,000
6. Kirill Gerasimov – 580,000
7. Eugene Todd – 541,000
8. Jason Lester – 300,000
9. Darryll Fish – 210,000

Average Chip Count: 917,444

Notable Eliminations:

Big Hands:

Baldwin Takes One Off Haxton

Isaac Haxton raised to 65,000 from early position and action folded to Eric Baldwin in the cutoff. He reraised to 170,000 and action folded around back to Haxton. He made the call and the players saw a flop of 552.

Haxton checked and Baldwin fired 162,000 into the pot. Haxton tanked for a minute then threw his hand away. Baldwin scored the pot and was around 1.5 million.

Kitai Takes One Off Alvarado

J.C. Alvarado raised the pot from the hi-jack position and action folded to Davidi Kitai in the big blind. He threw in the call and both players saw a flop of JJ2. Both players checked and the 9 dropped on the turn. Both players elected to check again and the 9 completed the board on the river. Kitai decided to lead out for 110,000 and Alvarado mucked his hand, sending the pot to Kitai.

Eugene Todd Doubles Through Eric Baldwin

Baldwin raised the pot from the hi-jack position preflop. The action was then on Eugene Todd on the button. He reraised the pot and the blinds folded. Baldwin then raised enough to put Todd all in and the call was made.

Todd: 99
Baldwin: KQ

Board: 75586

The board ran out with a bunch of little cards, helping Todd’s pair hold up and he doubled up to 540,000.

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Juan Carlos Alvarado,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin,   Isaac Haxton

Level 13 Update: Rheem Busts

Jun 24, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000

Players Remaining: 52 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Michiel Brummelhuis – 530,000
2. Darryll Fish – 390,000
3. Davidi Kitai – 330,000
4. Ken Lennaard – 330,000
5. Bryn Kenney – 270,000
6. Andrew Feldman – 269,000
7. Jordan Smith – 246,000
8. Thomas Pettersson – 230,000
9. J.C. Alvarado – 225,000
10. Toto Leonidas – 218,000

Average Chip Count: 152,775

Notable Eliminations:

Chino Rheem
Tony Cousineau

Big Hands:

Cowboys Best Bullets

Tony Cousineau raised the pot from the hijack and Davidi Kitai re-potted from the big blind. Cousineau then moved all in and Kitai made the call. Kitai showed pocket kings, KK but Cousineau showed AA. Cousineau was all set to double up but the flop had different ideas. It came down KJ4, giving Kitai the lead with a set. The board didn’t improve Cousineau and he was eliminated.

Alvarado Eliminates Rheem

Chino Rheem moved all in preflop and J.C. Alvarado made the call. Rheem showed JJ but Alvarado had AA. Rheem failed to crack Alvarado’s aces and he was eliminated.

Baldwin Survives All-In, Kahlmeyer Doesn’t

On a flop of Q38, Tim Kahlmeyer fired 12,000 into the pot and Eric Baldwin raised it to 29,000. Kahlmeyer then moved all in and Baldwin called. Baldwin turned over AA and Kahlmeyer showed 86 for a pair and a flush draw. The turn brought the 2 and the 7 fell on the river.

The dealer then counted each player’s chips and it turned out both players had 103,500 in front of them. Kahlmeyer was eliminated and Baldwin was at 207,000.

Player Tags: Tony Cousineau,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin,   Tim Kahlmeyer

Final Table Update: Eric Baldwin Eliminated

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 60,000-120,000

Players Remaining: 2 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Kirill Gerasimov – 5,559,000
2. John Kabbaj – 2,660,000

Average Chip Count: 4,125,000

Notable Eliminations:

3. Eric Baldwin ($259,534)

Big Hands:

Eric Baldwin Puts Stack At Risk

Eric Baldwin raised to 335,000 from the small blind and John Kabbaj called. The flop came 962. Baldwin checked and Kabbaj checked behind. The turn brought the Q and the recent bracelet winner bet 365,000. Kabbaj made the call. The A fell on the river and Baldwin checked. Kabbaj promptly bet 650,000 and Baldwin went all-in for 740,000 more. Kabbaj went into the tank before eventually folding. Baldwin was then at 3,200,000.

John Kabbaj Doubles Up

John Kabbaj got the last of his chips into the middle in a blind vs. blind war with Kirill Gerasimov. Gerasimov exposed the A9 while Kabbaj exposed the 99. The board ran out Q97Q8 and Kabbaj doubled up with a full house to 2,430,000.

Eric Baldwin Crippled, Kirill Gerasimov Doubles Up

Kirill Gerasimov raised to 300,000 on the button. Eric Baldwin called from the small blind. The flop came A98 and Baldwin checked. Gerasimov bet 375,000 and Baldwin threw out a check raise for 1,400,000 more. Gerasimov moved all-in and Baldwin made the quick call. Baldwin exposed the AJ and was well ahead of the A9 of Gerasimov. The flop was ugly for Baldwin as it came A98, giving his opponent two pair. The Q hit the turn and the 8 fell on the river, crippling Baldwin to just 420,000. Gerasimov is at 5,500,000.

Eric Baldwin Eliminated in 3rd Place ($259,534)

On the very next hand after the devastating flop, Eric Baldwin bet the pot, moving all-in for 420,000 on the button. John Kabbaj thought briefly before finally making the call and exposing the A5. Baldwin tabled two live cards with the J6. Baldwin endured another hideous flop as it came AQ5, giving Kabbaj two pair. The 6 hit the turn and Baldwin was giving some outs to stay alive, needing another six to make trips. However, the J fell on the river and Baldwin was eliminated with his two pair in 3rd place.

Player Tags: Kirill Gerasimov,   John Kabbaj,   Eric Baldwin

Final Table Update: J.C. Alvarado, Davidi Kitai Eliminated

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 50,000-100,000

Players Remaining: 3 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Kirill Gerasimov – 3,895,000
2. John Kabbaj – 2,505,000
3. Eric Baldwin – 1,880,000

Average Chip Count: 2,750,000

Notable Eliminations:

5. J.C. Alvarado ($138,375)
4. Davidi Kitai ($183,638)

Big Hands:

J.C. Alvarado Eliminated in 5th Place ($138,375)

J.C. Alvarado raised to 300,000 and Eric Baldwin went all-in from the big blind. Alvarado called for the rest of his chips. Baldwin tabled with AK and Alvarado exposed the 1010 for a coin flip. The board ran out Q73J7 and Alvarado’s tens held up. Alvarado was then up to 1,450,000 while Baldwin was down to 1,000,000.

Not too long after, J.C. Alvarado raised to 200,000. John Kabbaj reraised to 700,000 and Alvarado moved all-in for 1,250,000. Kabbaj didn’t take long before calling. Alvarado exposed the AQ while Kitai tabled the 1010. The board ran out J767J and the tens held up once again at the final table. Alvarado was sent home in 5th place.

Davidi Kitai Eliminated in 4th Place ($183,638)

Kirill Gerasimov raised to 250,000 on the button and Davidi Kitai reraised all-in from the big blind. Gerasimov called. Kitai exposed the 55 while Gerasimov tabled the K10, for a coin flip. The flop came J72, giving Gerasimov two overs and a flush draw. The 8 hit the turn and Kitai needed to dodge just one more card in order to double up. The river was a disaster as it brought the K giving Gerasimov top pair and sending Kitai home in 4th place. Gerasimov is now at 3,895,000.

Left In The Deck:

The players are currently on a 20 minute break.

Player Tags: Kirill Gerasimov,   Juan Carlos Alvarado,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin

Final Table Update: Eugene Todd Doubles Up

Jun 25, '09

Blinds: 20,000-40,000

Players Remaining: 9 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. John Kabbaj – 2,210,000
2. Davidi Kitai – 1,600,000
3. Eric Baldwin – 1,000,000
4. Isaac Haxton – 955,000
5. J.C. Alvarado – 680,000
6. Kirill Gerasimov – 580,000
7. Eugene Todd – 541,000
8. Jason Lester – 300,000
9. Darryll Fish – 210,000

Average Chip Count: 917,444

Notable Eliminations:

Big Hands:

Baldwin Takes One Off Haxton

Isaac Haxton raised to 65,000 from early position and action folded to Eric Baldwin in the cutoff. He reraised to 170,000 and action folded around back to Haxton. He made the call and the players saw a flop of 552.

Haxton checked and Baldwin fired 162,000 into the pot. Haxton tanked for a minute then threw his hand away. Baldwin scored the pot and was around 1.5 million.

Kitai Takes One Off Alvarado

J.C. Alvarado raised the pot from the hi-jack position and action folded to Davidi Kitai in the big blind. He threw in the call and both players saw a flop of JJ2. Both players checked and the 9 dropped on the turn. Both players elected to check again and the 9 completed the board on the river. Kitai decided to lead out for 110,000 and Alvarado mucked his hand, sending the pot to Kitai.

Eugene Todd Doubles Through Eric Baldwin

Baldwin raised the pot from the hi-jack position preflop. The action was then on Eugene Todd on the button. He reraised the pot and the blinds folded. Baldwin then raised enough to put Todd all in and the call was made.

Todd: 99
Baldwin: KQ

Board: 75586

The board ran out with a bunch of little cards, helping Todd’s pair hold up and he doubled up to 540,000.

Player Tags: Eugene Todd,   Juan Carlos Alvarado,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin,   Isaac Haxton

Level 13 Update: Rheem Busts

Jun 24, '09

Blinds: 2,000-4,000

Players Remaining: 52 out of 275

Chip Counts:

1. Michiel Brummelhuis – 530,000
2. Darryll Fish – 390,000
3. Davidi Kitai – 330,000
4. Ken Lennaard – 330,000
5. Bryn Kenney – 270,000
6. Andrew Feldman – 269,000
7. Jordan Smith – 246,000
8. Thomas Pettersson – 230,000
9. J.C. Alvarado – 225,000
10. Toto Leonidas – 218,000

Average Chip Count: 152,775

Notable Eliminations:

Chino Rheem
Tony Cousineau

Big Hands:

Cowboys Best Bullets

Tony Cousineau raised the pot from the hijack and Davidi Kitai re-potted from the big blind. Cousineau then moved all in and Kitai made the call. Kitai showed pocket kings, KK but Cousineau showed AA. Cousineau was all set to double up but the flop had different ideas. It came down KJ4, giving Kitai the lead with a set. The board didn’t improve Cousineau and he was eliminated.

Alvarado Eliminates Rheem

Chino Rheem moved all in preflop and J.C. Alvarado made the call. Rheem showed JJ but Alvarado had AA. Rheem failed to crack Alvarado’s aces and he was eliminated.

Baldwin Survives All-In, Kahlmeyer Doesn’t

On a flop of Q38, Tim Kahlmeyer fired 12,000 into the pot and Eric Baldwin raised it to 29,000. Kahlmeyer then moved all in and Baldwin called. Baldwin turned over AA and Kahlmeyer showed 86 for a pair and a flush draw. The turn brought the 2 and the 7 fell on the river.

The dealer then counted each player’s chips and it turned out both players had 103,500 in front of them. Kahlmeyer was eliminated and Baldwin was at 207,000.

Player Tags: Tony Cousineau,   Davidi Kitai,   Eric Baldwin,   Tim Kahlmeyer

Final Table Update: Martin Jacobson Eliminated in Eighth Place

Jun 18, '09

Blinds: 20,000-40,000 with a 5,000 ante

Players Remaining: 7 out of 2,095

NOTE: The players went on dinner break for one hour and they will return at 8:45 p.m.

Chip Counts:

1. Jonas Klausen — 3,500,000
2. Steven Bradbury — 1,770,000
3. James Taylor — 1,281,000
4. Andrew Youngblood — 1,150,000
5. Eric Baldwin — 1,020,000
6. Roland de Wolfe — 625,000
7. Benjamin Scholl — 600,000

Average Chip Count: 1,346,785

Notable Eliminations:

8. Martin Jacobson – $65,487

Elimination Hands

Martin Jacobson Eliminated in Eighth Place ($65,487)

Martin Jacobson moved all in for 125,000 in early position preflop. Eric Baldwin reraised to 295,000 and everyone else mucked. Their cards:

Jasobson: A9
Baldwin: QQ

Board: 10637J

Jaconson was eliminated in eighth place and Baldwin grew his stack to more than 1 million.

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin,   Martin Jacobson

Eric Baldwin Doubles Up By Accident

Oct 28, '08

Steven Levy raises under the gun to 5,500. The only problem is that Eric Baldwin doesn't see it when it is folded around to him. Instead, he moves all in for 32,000 on the button and is embarassed when Levy calls and shows A-K suited.

Baldwin shows 10-9, but is lucky enough to hit the flop and double up about 68,000 in chips.

 

 

 

 

 

Player Tags: Eric Baldwin,   Steven Levy

$5,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Back from Break

Jun 12, '08

Players have just returned from a 20 minute break.

It is worth noting that several of the remaining players in event No. 21 are roommates.  Cody "thugmoney" Slaubaugh, Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin, and current chip leader Adam "cisimmsux" Geyer are all sharing a house together in Las Vegas specifically for the World Series of Poker.

Player Tags: Cody Slaubaugh,   Adam Geyer,   Eric Baldwin

$5,000 No-Limit Hold'em - Level 15 - Bubble Burst!

Jun 12, '08

Blinds/Antes: 1500/3000/400

Players Remaining: 64 of 731

Average Stack: 116,000

Chip Counts:
Adam Geyer - 640,000
Michael Mizrachi - 260,000
Quoc Vu - 238,000
Patryk Hildebranski - 230,000
Jared Okun - 230,000
Jacobo Fernandez - 214,500
Jorryt Van Hoof - 209,000
Alex Melnikow - 195,000
Keith Tilston - 195,000
Scott Freeman - 190,000

Recent Eliminations:
Humberto Kim
Dag Palovic
Christopher Miranda

Big Hands:

The Bubble Has Burst

The bubble has finally burst in event No. 21, and all the remaining 72 players are guaranteed a payday of at least $9,619. Humberto Kim had the misfortune of being the bubble boy when his ace-king was cracked by ace-queen with a straight. The announcement that the players had officially reached the money came with a flurry of all in bets from shorter stacks, resulting in several eliminations and double ups.

Hasan Habib Takes Down a Huge Pot

Hasan Habib dramatically improved his overall chip count ranking by winning a large pot without a flop. It began when Habib raised from under-the-gun and was called by two opponents. When the action got to Eric "basebaldy" Baldwin in the big blind, he raised an additional 42,000. After deliberating, Habib moved all in for his remaining 162,000. Both the initial callers folded and Baldwin went into the tank, wondering aloud what Habib was holding. Baldwin eventually mucked and told Habib that he was folding pocket queens. Somewhat surprised, Habib turned over JJ and said that he didn’t think Baldwin had queens when he made the move.

Robert Zoellner Doubles Up with King-Deuce Offsuit

After facing a raise from the button, Robert Zoellner shipped his last 16,000 into the pot with K2. As it turned out, he was only up against 92. Both players paired their deuce on the flop, but Zoellner’s kicker was good enough to double his stack.

Mizrachi Says “Hasta Luego” to Chips

Humberto Brenes raised to 8,000 from his position under-the-gun. As the player next to act, Michael Mizrachi counted out 8,000 in chips and looked at them. “Hasta luego!” Mizrachi said as he tossed them into the pot. The two players took the AQ7 flop heads up. Brenes checked and Mizrachi made a bet of 10,000. Brenes called and checked the 5 when it fell on the turn. Mizrachi checked behind, and the dealer put down the K as the river. Again Brenes checked, and after shaking his head Mizrachi said, “I can never beat you. I check.” Brenes turned over AK, and Mizrachi showed him his JJ before mucking. While discussing the hand with another player, Mizrachi said he was hesitant to reraise Brenes pre-flop as he feared Brenes might move all in.

Player Tags: Humberto Brenes,   Hasan Habib,   Michael Mizrachi,   Adam Geyer,   Eric Baldwin,   Humberto Kim,   European Report,   Patryk Hildebranski,   Quoc Vu

Einiger Hits Blackjack

Jun 16, '07

Only 13 players remain on the final two tables.  With the bottom three chip stacks at or below $200,000 in chips and the blinds at $15,000 and $30,000, The final table should be decided in the next hour.

Ken Einger must have though he was at the blackjack tables when he eliminated Kazuki Ikeuchi.  Ikeuchi pushed all in from early position with A6, and Einiger flat called with A10.  David Daneshgar who folded from the big blind, announced when the hands were flipped that he folded A-10.  The board ran out K-5-3-K-4, and Ikeuchi was eliminated in 16^th place.  Einiger now has over $900,000 in chips and is a force to be reckoned with.

An interesting story up until now in this tournament has been the run of friends Travis Rice and Eric Baldwin.  Buddies of Player of the Year contender Jared Hamby, these two both recently made the final table of Event #2 at this year’s Bellagio Cup III. However that feat won’t be duplicated in this event as Baldwin lost a race for all of his chips to Evan Schwartz, A-K vs. J-J, busting in 15^th place.  Rice has worked his way among the chip leaders with over $700,000, so Hamby and Baldwin will have to cheer him from the rail.

Daneshgar was the most recent elimination, his 14^th place finish netting him $23,720.

Player Tags: David Daneshgar,   Evan Schwartz,   Ken Einiger,   Eric Baldwin,   Travis Rice,   Kazuki Ikeuchi